From refugee to “Donut King,” Ted Ngoy’s rise, fall, and legacy shaped the Cambodian American dream
Ted Ngoy, famously known as the “Donut King,” is a Cambodian American entrepreneur whose rise and fall is legendary. Born in Cambodia in 1941, he fled the Khmer Rouge in 1975 with his family and started from scratch in California. From working as a janitor, Ted learned the doughnut business and opened his first shop, Christy’s Donuts, in 1977. His success skyrocketed as he built a doughnut empire, owning dozens of stores and mentoring other Cambodian refugees to follow in his footsteps.
However, a gambling addiction unraveled his fortune, strained his family, and tarnished his once-thriving reputation. Despite his struggles, Ted’s impact on the Cambodian American community and the doughnut industry remains significant. His life story, a mix of incredible success and hard-learned lessons, is captured in the 2020 documentary The Donut King, reminding us of his lasting legacy.